For the next 23 nights, Sydney will be awash with breathtaking colour and special effects as part of Vivid Sydney.
The largest event of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere will transform the city into a colourful showcase of illumination, sensational sounds and creative thinking, so if you’re anywhere near Sydney between May 24th and June 15th, make sure you check it out.
Premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian said Vivid Sydney is a key attraction in the NSW events calendar, boosting visitor numbers to Sydney and the State.
“Vivid Sydney is an incredibly important event drawing millions of visitors to the city in May and June each year, many of whom have gone on to explore regional NSW as well,”
Premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian
Last year Vivid Sydney attracted an estimated 2.25 million visitors across the 23 days, a record 185,887 travel packages sold to domestic and international visitors which was a 37% increase on 2017.
While the famous Sydney landmarks like the Sydney Opera House, will certainly be a highlights, we’ve detailed some others you may wish to check out.
VIVID LIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
- Pixar: 30 years of art & animation – Taking audiences on a visual journey through Pixar Animation Studios’ creative process, from early film development to the finished product.
- Austral Flora Ballet – LA based Chinese-American visual artist Andrew Thomas Huang will create Austral Flora Ballet – an hypnotic fusion of contemporary dance and motion-capture technology – for the annual projection onto the Sails of the Sydney Opera House.
- Lights for the wild – Walk through Taronga Zoo’s heritage-listed main entrance and meet the Sumatran Tiger and her cubs alongside awe-inspiring multimedia light sculptures.
VIVID MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
- Paul Kelly in thirteen ways to look at birds – For one night only, Paul Kelly and James Ledger will be joined by celebrated piano trio Seraphim and singer-songwriter Alice Keath to showcase a unique combination of electronics, acoustic instruments and vocals at City Recital Hall on 1 June.
- Curve Ball – Curve Ball will return for its fourth year on 8 June, transforming Carriageworks into an immersive sonic and visual extravaganza.
- Purple Sneakers Thirteenth Birthday – Purple Sneakers will take over The Lansdowne for their thirteenth birthday celebrations together with creative music agency UNDR Ctrl and local institution FBi Radio.
VIVID IDEAS HIGHLIGHTS
- New Horizons: The Future of Sex – Creator of the wildly popular podcast The Future of Sex, Bryony Cole reveals her findings about the $30 billion sextech industry, how it is evolving, and what innovations are coming next.
- Next Gen Female Innovators – Future Women and Sylvia Jeffreys will share inspirational stories behind some of Australia’s most distinguished female entrepreneurs, as well as some solid gold advice from lessons they’ve learnt along the way.
- Mark Colvin Conversation: Net Worth – Pulitzer prize winner author Sebastian Smee, psychologist Jocelyn Brewer and artist and author Holly Throsby look at the value of an ‘inner life’ and ask what price we’ll pay for our constant digital distraction.
Samsung will be at Vivid in a big way again this year, with a technology-enabled, playground featuring not one, but two large-scale activations including the Samsung Electric Playground and Samsung Galaxy Studio in its most ambitious Vivid Sydney spectacle yet.
The two exhibitions will transform over 3,000 square metres of Circular Quay’s First Fleet Park and the adjacent Foundation Hall as never before and includes a landmark partnership with Instagram to showcase outstanding Vivid Sydney content being shared on the platform and provide tips on how to capture the magic of the festival when the lights illuminate Sydney on Friday, 24 May.
“The power of technology to open up new worlds through innovation is a constant source of inspiration for us. In returning for a second year to Vivid Sydney, we’ve challenged ourselves and harnessed the power of mobile technology to create not just a memorable cultural experience, but uniquely sharable and unlike anything festival goers will have ever seen before.”
Samsung’s Vice President of IT and Mobile Garry McGregor
Samsung Electric Playground
This invites guests into a celebration of light, sound and imagination powered by advanced mobile technology. With a multitude of experiences spanning an area over four basketball courts in size, festival goers can free their inner child and explore Galaxy S10-inspired attractions. These include a field of over 320 dynamic light poles, 23 of which will they can control directly; a 6.5-metre illuminated Infinity Slide; and an elevated view of picturesque Sydney Harbour from the Sky Walk platform amongst other must-see attractions.
This mesmerising wonderland will feature at least multiple Galaxy S10 devices in fixed locations throughout, while other S10s will be carried by assistants who will be on hand to capture guests’ experiences. Samsung Electric Playground features include:
Infinity Slide
- An LED-illuminated slide standing 6.5 metres tall
- Visitors’ exit moments will be captured on a Galaxy S10 for them to share
Sky Walk
- Climb the stairs to the elevated level of the Sky Walk to take in the impressive views of Sydney Harbour and the Electric Playground. With six vantage points you’ll be able capture that special selfie moment against a spectacular backdrop.
Hopscotch
- An illuminated, interactive LED dancefloor
- When stepped on, tiles react with playful colours and effects
- Guests can capture their moves at strategically placed Galaxy S10 photo stands surrounding the dancefloor
Pillars of Light
- A field full of Pillars of Light, celebrating the Galaxy S10’s PowerShare functionality
- With charge points mounted on the pillars throughout, visitors can hold their compatible smartphones to the reed to share their power and charge their phones or alternatively simply touch the Galaxy S10s to enable the light to pulse and change colour
- Visitors can immerse themselves into a field of smaller interactive illuminated reeds to capture unique photo moments
Illuminated Hula-Hoops
- Guests can create patterns of colour and light using illuminated hula-hoops
Show Mode
- Every 30 minutes the Electric Playground will burst into life
- Each show is a 45-second celebration of colour and light, all programmed by world-renowned lighting designer Steve Nield, who has worked in the field for over 35 years
Samsung Galaxy Studio
Arriving from a global tour including London, Barcelona and Dubai just in time for the festival and delivers its own array of truly interactive moments. The immersive space boasts tailored light experiences that are inspired by guests own unique irises and heartbeats generating their very own installations. The Samsung Galaxy Studio also features a one-of-a-kind interactive art piece by up-and-coming Australian artist George Rose.
Ocular Odyssey
- Takes inspiration from the Galaxy S10’s TrueEye feature
- Guides visitors on an exploration their own ‘youniverse’ by unravelling the hidden cosmos in their eyes
- Guests can capture every frame of this kaleidoscopic experience as it unfolds using the S10’s Live Focus feature
Field of Hearts
- Channels the S10’s biometrics functions to capture your heartbeat
- Invites guests to share their pulse with a friend
- The installation combines the rhythms of both visitors to create a symphony of infinite sound and light for the perfect ultra-wide photo moment
Artist in Residence, George Rose
- George will showcase the Galaxy S10’s best features while creating an unforgettable Instagram moment for guests
- Visitors can meet George at appearances on Saturday, 25 May and Saturday, 1 June
In Collaboration with Instagram
- Two Instagram workshops will be hosted each week, training guests in how to make the most of the Instagram platform and the new Instagram mode on the GalaxyS10 as they experience Vivid Sydney
- More details will be announced closer to VividSydney 2019
More information at https://www.vividsydney.com/
